San Francisco Unified picks Hayward superintendent to lead schools
SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Board of Education announced Thursday that Hayward Unified School District superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne has been named the finalist for the next superintendent of the city's public schools.
According to a statement from the San Francisco Unified School District, Wayne has been the superintendent in Hayward for the past six years and was previously the Executive Director of Elementary Schools at SFUSD before that.
"I look forward to serving the students, families, and staff in such a vibrant district committed to educational equity and academic excellence. We face significant challenges, but I know the San Francisco community is ready to work together to do right by our students," Wayne said.
The board selected Wayne following a search that included more than 60 applicants, 18 of which were identified as "potentially strong matches" to the district's criteria of evaluating potential candidates. District officials said they conducted initial interviews with five candidates and held second interviews with three of those candidates.
According to the district, Wayne earned his undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley, masters degrees at Columbia and a doctorate in educational leadership at Berkeley. Wayne began his teaching career in 1997 in New York City and has also served as assistant principal and principal in the West Contra Costa Unified School District.
"Given his strong leadership experience, his knowledge of SFUSD and California, and his collaborative leadership style, Dr. Wayne comes to us ready to lead SFUSD during these times of incredible challenges and opportunities. He has a deep commitment to transparency and is eager to work collaboratively in the best interest of all students," Board President Jenny Lam said.
Wayne is joining SFUSD amid a tumultuous period in the district, which included in-person learning being shut down for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in the wake of a recall election where three members of the Board of Education were ousted from office.
Other recent disputes included the district announcing layoffs to close a projected $125 million budget deficit and payroll glitches that prompted a sleep-in by teachers at district headquarters.
"It's been hard, and we need time to heal, come together as a community, and focus on education," Wayne said in a separate letter to district families. "I am here to work with our Board of Education to support you as we focus on the reason we are all here-to educate students."
The United Educators of San Francisco, which represents the teachers, said "UESF is looking forward to working with district management under incoming Superintendent Matt Wayne to ensure that our schools are fully funded and fully staffed. Collaboration will be essential if we are going to make our schools a place where all students thrive and teachers want to teach."
If confirmed, Wayne will succeed Dr. Vincent Matthews, who announced plans to retire at the end of the school year.
The board is expected to make Wayne's appointment official at its upcoming meeting on May 24.
